SWEET BRIAR, Va. - The Wilkes University women's lacrosse team cruised to a 19-1 victory over the Sweet Briar College Vixens Wednesday evening on the road.

The Colonels improve to 4-0 this season, while the Vixens fall to 0-5.

Wilkes dominated the game from the very beginning, jumping out to a 7-0 lead after the first quarter. Taylor Sparks (Monroeville, NJ/Woodstown) got the ball rolling by scoring the first goal on a free position shot just 53 seconds into the game.

A few minutes later, Nina-Lily Veale (Franklin, TN/Franklin) and Morgan Hettesheimer (Monroe Twp., PA/Tunkhannock Area) each found the back of the net to make it a 3-0 game at the 7:29 mark. Veale assisted on a Karinne Podwika (Duryea, PA/Pittston Area Senior) goal with 6:23 left to make it 4-0 Colonels, and then Hettesheimer scored another goal just four seconds later after the draw control win.

Madyson Martinez (Owasso, OK/Owasso) and Alexis Guttilla (Staten Island, NY/St. Joseph by-the-Sea) each scored before the end of the period as Wilkes took a seven-goal cushion into the second quarter. 

Haile Albright scored the first goal of the second, and Podwika scored her second goal of the game to increase the lead to 9-0. With 9:21 to play in the half, Hettescheimer got the game into the mercy rule with her third goal of the contest.

For the rest of the game the Colonels kept the game clock running. They scored two more times to lead 12-0 at halftime, they netted another five goals in the third quarter to lead 17-0 going into the fourth, and then scored two more goals in the final frame.

The Colonels as a team outshot the Vixens 31-2 all game, including 22-1 in shots on goal. They also won more draw controls (14-7), scooped up more ground balls (22-14), and dominated the turnover battle, committing just nine compared to Sweet Briar's 21.

Hettescheimer, Veale, and Martinez all finished the game with five points to lead the team. Hettescheimer finished with four goals and one assist, and both Veale and Martinez had three goals and two assists.

Wilkes returns to Schmidt Stadium for their next game this Saturday at 12:30 p.m. against Notre Dame of Maryland University.